05/22/2026
Last night’s Salsa, Spice & Tamales was full of great food and fun!
Chef Mike was kind enough to share his personal tamale recipe with us so everyone can enjoy making them at home. Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a delicious evening!
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Preparing Tamales:
Filling ingredients
Pork or Chicken Meat for shredding 1.1 lbs
Ancho Chili 4 pieces
Guajillo Chili 3 pieces
Garlic 1 clove
Onion(yellow) 0.7 oz
Dried Mexican Oregano 1/4 tsp
Cumin 1/4 tsp
Water 2 cups
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil 1 tsp
Tamale corn husks 29 pieces
Preparing the Masa
Ingredients
Maseca Tamal corn masa flour 4 cups
Warm water, chicken or pork broth 3 cups
Salt 1-1/2 tsp
Baking powder 1 Tbsp
In a large bowl or mixer bowl, place Maseca Tamal and warm water.
Knead for 1 to 2 minutes by hand or at a low speed if using a mixer. Set aside.
In a skillet, melt the lard over medium heat. Add the salt and baking powder, stirring with a whisk or spoon until fully combined. Keep it warm.
Gradually add warm lard to the dough, beating constantly. If using a mixer, maintain medium speed during this step.
Continue beating until the dough is smooth and well-integrated. If using a mixer, increase to high speed and beat for 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
FILLING
Boil meat with garlic, onion, and salt. When the meat is cooked, let it cool to shred and set aside.
In a pot with water, boil the chiles for 5 minutes with garlic, onion, oregano, and cumin. Remove the solids and blend with some of the water used for boiling. You can change the texture of the sauce by adding all of the water little by little.
Heat a skillet, add oil and fry the sauce. Season to taste.
Add the shredded meat to the sauce and rectify the seasoning. Let it boil for 3 minutes and set aside until you start making the tamales.
TAMALES
Choose the tamale corn husks and soak in warm water to soften and drain well.
Spread the masa on the corn husk forming a thin layer (using approximately 2 ounces) on the upper side.
Place shredded meat in the center of the corn husk, close the tamale folding inward the left and right part of the husk and then fold upwards toward the top end.
Cook in a steamer for 45 to 50 minutes.
Turn the steamer off and let them rest for a few minutes before serving, the tamale must come off the husk completely, this is how we can confirm that the tamales are cooked.
TIP: Use some of the red chile sauce from the filling to color the dough, as it is done in some regions of the North of Mexico.
